Sewing machine



F. GEGAUF SEWING MACHINE April 29, 1958 Filed May 29. 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 U l INVENTOR.

April 29, 1958 F. GEGAUF 2,832,302

SEWING MACHINE Filed May v29. 1955 e sheets-sheet 2 INVENToR. FIV/72' GF6/90;

April 29, 1958 F. GEGAUF 2,832,302

SEWING MACHINE Filed May 29. 1953 6 Sheetis-Sheet 3 H LLUHIIIIIIHIIIHIIIHHHIIII|IHIIIIHHIIIIIIIIIIIHVV IN V EN TOR. 1 Fwzr @fg/wf W Wfl/12 April 29, 1958 F. GEGAUF 2,832,302

SEWING MACHINE Filed May 29. 19.55 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 /7 IN VEN TOR.

April 29, 1958 F. GEGAUF l 2,832,302

SEWING MACHINE Filed May 29. 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 ffy/4 v 5gg/5 /f-/f' LR -f /7 I N VEN TOR. /7 y.. "fin" wa Y y plil 29, 1953 F. Gl-:GAUF 2,832,302

` SEWING MACHINE .IN V EN TOR.

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United States Patent O SEWING MACHINE Fritz Gegauf, Steckborn, Switzerland, assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Singer Manufacturing Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application May 29, 1953, Serial No. 358,377 Claims priority, application Switzerland May 31, 1952 8 Claims. (Cl. 112-15S) The present invention relates to a sewing machine and more particularly to a sewing machine of the kind permitting zigezag stitching by combined reciprocation and transverse oscillation of its needle bar. with known practice, such a zig-zag sewing machine may comprise a needle bar guide, in which the needle bar is longitudinally reciprocable and which is oscillatable transversely to the direction of reciprocation of the needle bar.

In sewing machines of this kind,.it is known to use interchangeable cam members for oscillating the needle bar guide to permit various stitch patterns to 'be obtained. ln order to produce the most usual stitch patterns, a corresponding number of cam members are to be interchanged. As these cam members are lodged within the upper arm of the machine frame interehanging thereof can only take place upon uncovering an opening provided for this purpose in said arm, e. g. by swinging open a hinged cover.

This interchange of cam members, however is, troublesome and time-wasting. it is more inconvenient in so far as the cam members to be interchanged are covered with oil. Also, the cam members when removed from the machine may often be lost, or they may be damaged as they usually are made from plastic material rather than from metal.

The main, though not the sole object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for oscillating the needle bar guide as required for producing various decorative stitch patterns without the necessity of interchanging cam members each time another stitch pattern is to be selected.

According to the invention, the sewing machine comprises a driveshaft, on which a plurality of cam members are mounted, and oscillatable means in driving connection with said needle bar guide said, means being adapted to be oscillated selectively by one of said cam members on rotation of the latter with the drive shaft. These oscillatable means may comprise one cam follower element which can be made to cooperate with any one of the cam members, or a plurality of cam follower ele` ments each adapted to cooperate with one of the cam members and which selectively can be made totactually cooperate with their corresponding cam members, `or a plurality of cam follower elements each permanently cooperating with one of the cam members, means being provided for deriving the oscillatory motion, to be transmitted to the needle bar guide, selectively from any one of these cam followers.

The set of cam members may comprise a pack of assembled cam discs permanently or removably mounted on the drive shaft, which may be horizontal or vertical. This renders it possible to produce more than one` hundred of the most current stitch patterns without any interchange of parts. Moreover, the arrangement can be such that the member controlling the selection of the respective pattern to be obtained is actuatable from the outside oi' the machine frame. Also, the cam follower or cam followers may be mounted on an oscillatable lever In accordance ICC formingl part of said oscillable means, which permits a a particularly convenient construction of the various accessory parts required for producing decorative stitch patterns.

@ther objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description now to follow, of various embodiments thereof shown by way of examples in the accompanying, partly diagrammatic drawings. In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a logitudinal section of the upper part of a sewing machine made according to a first embodiment of the invention, in which the oscillation of the needle is controllable by an angularly adjustable control member cooperating with cam members arranged side by side; j Fig. 2 is a partial longitudinal section corresponding to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partly sectional top view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2, with a top cover omitted;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view as seen from the right of Fig. 2, the said top cover being again omitted;

Fig. 5 is a larger size sectional View corresponding to part of Fig. 4 but as seen from the opposite side;

Figs. 6 and 7 show, in development, two halves of the periphery of a iange on the adjustable control member, with stitch patterns marked thereon;

Figs, 8 and 9 show in sectional elevation and in a View from above, respectively, an alternative arrangement of a disengaging device cooperating with the control member;

Figs. 10 and 11 show in sectional elevation and in atop plan view, respectively, an embodiment comprising one cam follower mounted on a lever;

Figs. 12 and 13 are corresponding views or an embodiment in which the cam follower is mounted on a slide member;

Fig. 14 shows part of a further embodiment in which the cam follower is mounted on a lever;

Fig. 15 illustrates an embodiment having the cam i follower mounted on a sleeve;

Fig. 16 is a crosssection corresponding to Fig. 15; Figs. `17 and 18 are a partly sectional view and a corresponding view from outside, respectively, of a further embodiment comprising a plurality of cam followers selectively couplable to an oscillatable shaft;

Fig. 19 shows still another embodiment of the inventhe upper part of af tion in a partly sectional View of sewing machine; and

Fig. 2O is a cross-section corresponding to Fig. 19, with the oscillatable lever and other parts seen from the right of Fig. 19.

In the first embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 7, the reference numeral 2 designates an upper arm integral with the frame post 1 of the sewing machine. In this arm 2, the upper drive shaft 3 of the machine is supported, this shaft carrying the conventional handwheel 4 and being movable by a transmission element 5 from conventional driving means (not shown). The drive is transmitted `by conventional means (not shown) to the needle bar 6 (Fig. 1) so as to impart thereto a reciprocating up-and-down motion. The needle bar 6, which carries the sewing needle 7 is movably guided, according to known practice, in a swingable frame 3 which receives its oscillatory motion from a bar 9 forming an extension of a link member 10 pivoted on a pin lila. By this oscillatory motion of the frame, the transverse motion necessary for producing a zig-zag seam. The amplitude of this transverse motion can be j Patented Apr. 29, 1958` the needle bar 6 receives in known manner, t

tatable knob (not shown), arranged outside the machine frame and coupled to the forked end of the link member 10.

The drive shaft 3 transmits its rotary motion by a Worm 14 to a worm wheel 15 mounted on a horizontal shaft 16 so that the latter is driven at reduced speed. On this shaft 16, four cam discs 17 (Figs. 2 to 4) are supported, each having its periphery shaped as a different curve or guiding track. The various cam discs 17 are angularly coupled to a ring 19 by means of a pin 1S carried by this ring and extending parallel to the said shaft 16, and the ring 19 is in fixed relation to the worm wheel 15, so that the discs 17 partake in the rotation of the latter.

On an axle 20, a double-armed oscillating lever- 21, 22 is rockably mounted. lts upper arm 21 provides a lodging for a fixed bushing 23 in which a lock pin 24 is supported, as shown in Fig. 5. One end of this pin 24 projects outwardly from the machine casing and carries a press button 25, forming an abutment for a helical spring 26 which presses the button 25 and pin 24 outwardly, thereby normally keeping a cross-pin 27 in engagement with one of four notches 28 provi-ded in the opposite end of the bushing 23 so as to locate the lock pin 24 against rotation.

The provision of four notches 28 arranged crosswise in the face of bushing 23 enables the lock pin 24 to be arrested in four angular positions at 90 degrees from each other. The pin 24 may be placed in any of these four positions by pressing it back by means of the button 25, against the pressure of the spring 26, and then rotating it into the desired angular position. The bushing 23 carries a control cylinder 29 which has a flange 3f? and which by two diametrically opposite recesses engages another cross-pin 31 of the lock pin 24, so that the control cylinder 29 is angularly coupled to the lock pin 24. On the corresponding end face of the control cylinder 29, a washer 32 provides an abutment for the inner end of spring 26. Four pin-shaped cam followers 33 are fixed at` equal angular intervals in the periphery of control cylinder 29. Axially of the said cylinder 29, these cam followers are offset in relation to each other in such a way that each is in the plane of one of the aforesaid cam discs 17 so that it can be made to cooperate by its flattened free end with the circumference of that disc.

By corresponding adjustment -of the angular position of control cylinder 29 on'the bushing 23, which is possible after unlocking the lock pin 24, any one of the four cam follower pins 33 can be brought into operating position, i. e. made to cooperate with the corresponding cam disc 17. As the worm wheel to which the cam discs 17 are angularly coupled, is rotated by the worm 14, the oscillating lever 21, 22 is therefore rocked about its supporting axle 2t) according to the profile of that cooperating cam disc17, by means of the cam follower pin 33 in question and the control cylinder 29. The lower arm 22 of the oscillating lever 21, 22 is connected by a link 34 to an angle lever 35 which is fixed on the shaft 12 carrying the guide lever 11. Thus, the motion of the oscillating lever 21, 22 is transmitted to the guide lever 11 and from the latter to the swingable frame 8 in which the needle bar` 6 is guided, The lother arm of the angle lever 35 is loaded by a compression spring 36 supported on a fixed rod 37. This spring 36 urges the oscillating lever 21, 22 towards the shaft 16 which carries the cam discs'17 so as to hold the respective operative cam follower 33 in resilient engagement with the circumference of the selected cam disc 17. The flange 3d provided on the control cylinder 29 projects outwardly through au opening 33a in the upper cover 33 which if desired may be swung open to provide access to the control cylinder 29, to the cam discs 17 and to their associated parts. On the periphery of the flange 30, four stitching patterns as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 are engraved in positions correspending to the angular positions of the four cam followers 33 provided on the control cylinder 29, these patterns indicating those which can be obtained by using the cam disc 17 cooperating with the respective cam follower 33. That pattern which is produced by means of the cam follower 33 happening to be in operative position, and of its cooperating cam disc 17, is visible on the portion of the circumference of the said flange 30 which projects through the opening in the cover 3S. The flange 30 is knurled so that it may be moved easily by hand, from its outwardly projecting and accessible portion, to rotate the control cylinder 29 and the lock pin 24 coupled thereto by cross-pin 31, after the cross-pin 27 has been disengaged from the notches 28 of bushing 23 by pressure Ion the button 25, overcoming the action of spring 26.

In Figs. l to 3, the numerals 39, 40 indicate a twoarmed disengaging lever supported on a pivot 41. The arm 39 of this lever also projects upwardly beyond cover 33, while its opposite arm embraces part of a step provided on the flange 3d of control cylinder 29 (Fig. 5). lf this `disengaging lever is swung from its inactive position shown in full lines, into the active position indicated in dash-and-dot lines in Fig. 2, its arm 40 engages the cylinder 29 and lifts it, thus causing the oscillating lever 21, 22 which supports it and which indirectly is loaded by spring 36, to move in such a way that the active cam follower 33 is retained out of engagement with its cooperating cam disc 17, whereupon influence of the latter on the guide lever 11 ceases. lf the disengaging lever 39, 40 is returned to its full-line position, the control cylinder 29 reverts to its active position. Means (not shown) are provided for arresting the disengaging lever 39, 40 in either of its active and inactive positions. Disengagement of the control cylinder 29 is to take place when the machine is used for normal straight sewing, for mending, and the like.

Figs. 8 and 9 show an alternative arrangement for disengaging the control cylinder 29. This arrangement includes an eccentric cam 39a adapted for cooperation with a fixed abutment 39h. The eccentric cam 39a can be rotated on the locking pin 24 by means of the cylinder 29 and its flange 30 to engage the abutment 39b, whereby the said cylinder 29 is swung away from the shaft 16 carrying the `carn discs 17. By corresponding rotation of the cam 39a, the cylinder 29 can be caused to be swung back to its initial or operative position by means of the oscillating lever 21, 22.

In the embodiment of Figs. l() and 1l, the shaft 12 on which the guide lever (not shown in these figures) is mounted, carries a bent supporting arrn 42 on the horlzontal portion of which a control lever 44 is mounted by means of a vertical pivot 43. At one of its ends, the control lever 44 carries a cam follower 45 fixed to it, and at the opposite end of lever 44 a spring-loaded lock pin 46 is mounted; the latter cooperates with locking notches 47 provided on the arm 42. Parallel to the said pivot 43, a knurled pin 48 is rotatably supported in arm 42; this pin traverses a slot in the control lever 44 and has an integral tooth rim 49 which engages a toothed segment 50 screwed to the control lever 44.

By corresponding manual rotation of the pin 48 with its knurled end portion serving as a grip, the control lever 44 can be swung about its pivot 43 and adjusted as desired for positioning its cam follower 45 opposite one or the lother of the four cam discs 17, so that it cooperates with this disc for transmitting the control motion to the shaft 12 of the guide lever. in each selected position, the control lever 44 is arrested by the engagement of its lock pin 46 in the corresponding locking notch 47.

In the embodiment according to Figs. l2 and 13, an arm 51 is fixed to the aforesaid shaft 12 carrying the guide lever, and supports a manually rotatable pin 52. This pin has an integral pinion 53 which engages a cylindrical control bolt 54provided with lateral teeth and which is asas-oa" v axially slidable in a transverse bore `'of the armISllV-'iif its side opposite the said teeth the slidable bolt 54 car* ries a pin-shaped cam follower 55 which extends through a slot 56 in the arm 51.

By corresponding rotation of the pin 52, the control bolt 54 can be displaced axially of the bore in which it is lodged, so as to place the cam follower 55 in` alignment with any of the four cam discs 17 and cause it to cooperate with the latter in order to transmitthe control motion to the shaft 12. An index 57 fastened to the arm 51 shows, on a dial engraved on a flange 58 of pin 52, what position the cam follower 55 -occupies in relation to the set of cam discs 17, it being assumed that the cam follower S5 is hidden within thecasing of the machine. Of course, means (not shown) may be provided for arresting the control bolt 5,4 in its selected axial position.

Fig. 14 shows an alternative arrangement differing from that represented in Figs. l0 and ll by having a control lever 61 pivoted on a pin 60 itself xed to a support 59 carried by the shaft 12 on which the guide lever is mounted. At its free end, the lever 61 has a transverse pin 62 serving as a cam follower. By suitable rotation of the lever 61 on its pivot pin 60, the cam follower pin 62 can be made to cooperate with any of the four cam discs 17 shown. 63 are four locking depressions in the support 59, which depressions can be engaged by a nose on the control lever 61 to secure the latter in its selected position.

In the embodiment represented in Figs. and 16, a control sleeve 65 is slidably mounted on the shaft 12 which carries the guide lever, and angularly coupled to said shaft by means of a key 64. The sleeve 65 carries a cam follower 66 and can be slid axially into selected positions lfor which the cam follower 66 engages the periphery of one or the other of the cam discs 17. Automatic arresting means (not shown) are provided for maintaining the control sleeve 65 against axial displacement in any of the selected positions.

According to Figs. 17 and 18, four levers 69 are rotatably maintained on the said shaft 12 one beside the other between two positioning rings 67 and 68, with washers 70 interposed between the individual levers 69. Each of these levers has a cam follower finger 71 at one end and a` cut out portion 69a adjacent the other end. In an axial bore of the said shaft 12, a slide 72 provided with an external hand knob 73 is axially displaceable. In the region of the levers 69, the shaft 12 has a longitudinal slot 74, into which an inner tongue or projection 70a of each of the washers 70 extends. Opposite this slot, the levers 69 each have a radial recess 69a. In the forked inner end of slide 72, a flat coupling lever 76 is articulated on a transverse pin 75. The free end of this lever 76a forms a coupling head having opposite sloping faces. A leaf spring 77 fixed to the lever 76 urges the latter into such a position that its coupling head 76a projects outwardly through the slot 74, so that by suitable axial displacement of the slide 72, by means of the hand knob 73, any one of the four levers 69 can be angularly coupled to the shaft 12, as the said coupling head 76a of the lever 76 engages the radial recess 69a of the, lever 69 in question. Thus, the oscillating motion whichis imparted to that lever 69 by the corresponding cam disc 17 is transmitted to the shaft 12 and to the guide lever carried by the latter. When the slide 72 is axially displaced, the coupling lever 76 is retracted by the sloping face of its coupling head 76a as the latter meets the inwardly projecting tongue 70a of any of the Washers 7) in its way, so that the coupling head may contact any of the other levers 69, as desired, after which the knob 73 is axially rotated for engagement therewith.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 19 and 2O which now will be described is remarkable by the compact, yet plain construction and the good accessibility of the parts provided for producing decorative seams.

zi'aga'in indicates the" shaftcaryigiithe guide leve-jf 11. The two-armed oscillating lever 21, 22 is again supported on the axle 20; its upper arm 21 is widened as shown in Fig. 2O and in its top portion forms a yforkA supporting guide plate fixed by a pair of screws 111 and provided with slot 110a. This guide plate 110 carries a slidable cam follower support which comprises a slide member 112 U-shaped in cross-section and a counterplate 113 having an integral sleeve plug 113a. The partsv 112, 110 and 113 are traversed by the stem of a screw" l 114, the head of which is shaped to form a cam follower and which, when untightened, permits displacement of the cam follower support, i. e. parts 112 and 113, along the slot 110a of the guide plate 110. By tightening ai nut 115 on this screw 114, the said cam follower support I can be arrested in desired position onthe guide plate 110.

To displace the cam follower support 112, 113 on the guide plate 110, a control lever 116 is pivoted on a pin 117 in a longitudinal slot of a stub shaft 118 "which is rotatably supported in the wall of the upper arm 2 forming part of the machine casing. A screw bolt` `119 screwed into the casing wall engages a circumferential groove of the stub shaft 118 and secures the latter against axial displacement. t

The control lever 116 has a longitudinal slot 116 through which said sleeve plug 11311` provided4 oncounter- The upper end of lever 116 carries a tapered screw bolt 12@ adapted to engage a corresponding` notch 122a of a plurality of notches in a fixed locking segplate 113 extends.

ment 122. The engagement of screw bolt in anyfof the said notches is produced by a torsion spring 123 acting on shaft 118. For manual actuation, the lever116 has an end portion projecting beyond the slotted top of casing* arm 2. if the lever 116 is swung to the right (Fig. 19)

about the axis of shaft 118, until it abuts the edge of` slot 124rz in the graduated plate 124 xed at the top sur-v face of arm 2, this lever 116 rst abuts the nut 115 .on screw 114 and thereafter carries the screw 114 and the cam follower support 112, 113 with it, therebyrocking the oscillating lever 21, 22 about its supporting axle 20.l The cam follower portion of screw -114 is thus lifted oif the periphery of the cam disc 17 with which it was in engagement; simultaneously, the tapered screw 120 nis moved out of engagement with the lockingsegment 122.; The control lever 116 then can be swung laterally about its pivot pin 117 to bring the cam follower portion `of screw 114 in front of another selected cam disc 1'7 .A On

being released, the lever 116 automatically swings back` towards the group of cam discs, so that the head of screw" 114 cornes into contact with the periphery of the newly` selected cam disc 17, and the tapered screw 120 engages the corresponding notch in the locking segment 122,.

Through its connected linkage, comprising the link 34 and the two-armed lever 35 mounted on the shaft 12 which carries the guide lever 11, the oscillating lever 21, 22 is acted upon by a flat spring 125 which is fixed to the casing 2 by two screws `126. The profiles of the cam discs 17 are characterized by diagrammatic representations of the corresponding sewing patterns, en-V.

graved on the outside of the graduated plate: 124. The

,mark 1165: engraved on the control lever 116 indicates, for each position of the latter, which pattern will `befobt tained from the cam disc 17 cooperating with screw 114 in that particular position of the lever.

This embodiment of the invention has the particular advantage that the auxiliary parts provided for sewing ornamental patterns can be produced in a cornparativelyt` easy way. Of course, the specic execution may depart` somewhat from that shown in the drawing. For instancep the oscillating lever 21 could be supported directlyronthe` s shaft 12 carrying the guide lever 11, whereby the'arm 1 22, the link 34 and one arm of the double-armed lever@ 35 could be omitted. As the lforegoing examples `body skilled in the art, the invention can be carried out 2' in many other ways within the scope of the claims now to follow,

Having `thus described the invention, what'is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

l. An ornamental stitch sewing machine for selectively producing a pluralityof different stitch patterns and comprising, a hollow frame, a needle pivotally carried by said frame and mounted for endwise reciprocation and for lateral swinging movements, a rotary shaft mounted in said frame for reciprocating said needle, means for rotating said shaft, a series of rotary cams having different stitch patterns carried by said frame and mounted about a common axis, means connected with said shaft for rotating said Icams about said common axis, a cam follower, means mounting said cam follower in said frame for movement radially of said common axis, said follower having a singlecam-engaging head with its one end engaging land responding to the surface of a cam of said series, means enabling a selected cam to be engaged by said single cam-engaging head, spring means normally urging said single cam-engaging head into engagement with said selected cam surface, means releasably locking said cam-engaging head and said selected cam surface against movement relative to each other lengthwise of said common cam axis during the normal operation of the machine, ya manually operable member carried within said iframe and having a portion positioned adjacent to and movable with said cam follower for withdrawing said cam-engaging head from and radially of said selected cam surface, a handle formed on said member and extending *l outside the confines of said frame, said series of cams and said single cam-engaging head being relatively shiftable lengthwise of the common cam axis after said cam follower has been withdrawn radially from a selected cam thereby to effect a partial or a complete traverse of said series of rotary cams whereby the single cam-engaging head can 'be manually engaged with one cam a-fter the other in any desired sequence, and a pitman having one end connected with said needle at a point spaced from the pivot `and its other end operatively connected with the other end of said single cam-engaging head thereby to impart lateralswinging' movement to said needle in response to the surface of said selected cam.

2. An ornamental stitch sewing machine according to claim l, wherein said cam follower comprises a stem, said manually operated member having a slot, said stem extending through said sl-ot in said manually operated member, 4whereby movement of said stem along its longitudinal axis due to engagement of said cam follower with one of said cam members will pass freely through said slot of said manually operated member upon said movement of said stern through said slot.

3. A sewing machine for producing a plurality of different stitch patterns; comprising in combination, a hollow frame, a needle pivotally carried by said frame permitting endwise reciprocation and lateral swinging movements to define a plurality of different stitch patterns, a shaft rotatably mounted in said frame for causing reciprocation of said needle, means connected `to said shaft for rotating said shaft, rotary cams defining different stitch patterns carried by said frame, said earns being mounted about a common axis, means connected with said shaft for rotating said cams about said common axis, a cam lfollower engageable with said cams, means mounting said cam follower in said frame for movement radially of said common axis, said mounting means including a control lever having ya slot therethrough, spring means engaging said cam `follower for urging said cam follower through said slot and against a selected cam, said cam follower having a cam enga-ging head contacting and responding to a surface of said selected cam, said cams Vand said V4cam engaging head being relatively shiftable lengthwise yof said'common axis subsequent to withdrawal of said cam follower from said selected cam to effect at least a partial traverse of said Icams whereby the cam lll engaging head can be manually brought into contact with said cams singly in any desired sequence of said cams, and a pitm'an'having one end connected with said needle at a point'lspaced from the pivot and its other end operatively connected with the other end of said cam engaging head thereby to impart lateral swinging movement to said needle in response to the surface of said selected cam.

4. A sewing machine for producing a plurality of different stitch patterns; Icomprising in combination a hollow frame, Ia needle pivotally carried by said frame permitting endwise reciprocation and lateral swinging movements thereof to define a plurality of different stitch patterns, a shaft rotatably mounted in said frame for causing reciprocation of said needle, means connected to said shaft for rotating said shaft, rotary cams each defining a different stitch pattern carried by said frame, said cams being mounted about a common ax-is, means connected with said shaft `for rotating said 'cams about said common axis, a cam follower engageable wi-th said cams, means mounting said cam follower on said'frame for movement radially of said common axis and including a control lever lhaving a slot therethrough, spring means engaging said cam follower for urging said cam follower through said slot and against a selected cam, said cam follower having a cam engaging head contacting and responding to a sur--4 face of said selected cam, said cams and said cam engaging head being relatively shiftable lengthwise of said common axis subsequent to withdrawal of said cam follower from said selected cam to effect at least a partial traverse of said cams whereby the cam engaging head can be manually brought into contact with said cams singly in any desired sequence of the latter, a pitrnan having one end connected with said needle at a point spaced from the pivot and its other end operatively connected with the other end of said cam engaging head thereby to impart lateral `swinging movement to said needle in response to `the surface of said selected cam, said cam follower including a stem extending 4through said slot in said -control lever whereby a movement of said stem lengthwise of its axis due to engagement of said cam follower with said selected cam will unaifect said control lever due to movement of said stem through said slot, said frame having a slot therein through which said control lever extends from within said frame therewithout, and indicia means on said frame cooperative with said control lever `for indicating that said selected cam is set for contact by said cam engaging head.

5. An ornamental stitch sewing machine for selectively producing a plurality of different stitch patterns and comprising, a hollow frame, a needle carried by said frame and mounted for endwise reciprocation and for lateral swinging movements, a rotary shaft mounted in said frame for reciprocating said needle, means for rotating said shaft, a series of rotary cams having dierent stitch patterns mounted within the hollow frame about a common axis fixed by the frame, means connected with said shaft for rotating each cam through a fraction of a revolution for each complete needle reciprocation, a ca-m follower, means mounting said cam follower within said frame for movement radially of said common axis, said follower having a single cam-engaging head with its one end engaging and responding to the surface of a cam of said series, means enabling a selected cam to be engaged by said single cam-engaging head, means releasably locking said cam-engaging head and said selected cam surface in active cam tracking relation during the normal operation of the machine, first manually operable means carried within said frame and movable with said carnengaging head for withdrawing said cam-engaging head from and radially of said selected cam surface, said series of cams and said single cam-engaging head being relatively shiftable lengthwise of the common cam axis after said cam-engaging head has been withdrawn radially from a selected cam thereby to effect a partial or a complete traverse of said series of rotary cams whereby the single cam-engaging head can be manually engaged with one cam after another in any desired sequence, second manually operable means disposed within said frame for relatively shifting the cams and the cam-engaging head lengthwise of the common cam axis, handle means connected within the frame with the said rst and second manually operable means and extending outside the contines of said frame for operating said two manually operable means, and means connecting the cam-engaging head with the needle thereby to impart lateral swinging movements to said needle in response to the surface of said selected cam.

6. An ornamental stitch sewing machine for selectively producing a plurality of different stitch patterns and comprising, a hollow frame, a needle carried by said frame and mounted for endwise reciprocation and for lateral swinging movements, a rotary shaft mounted in said frame for reciprocating said needle, means for rotating said shaft, a series of rotary cams having different stitch patterns mounted within the hollow frame about a common axis fixed by the frame, means connected with said shaft for rotating each cam through a fraction of a revolution for each complete needle reciprocation, a cam follower, means mounting said cam follower within said frame for movement Aradially and lengthwise of Isaid common cam axis, said follower having a single cam-engaging head with its one end engaging and responding to the surface of a cam of said series, means enabling a selected cam to be engaged by said single cam-engaging head, means releasably locking said cam-engaging head against movement relative to and lengthwise of said common cam axis during the normal operation of the machine, rst manually operable means carried Within said frame and movable with said cam-engaging head for withdrawing said camengag ing head from and radially of said selected cam surface, second manually operable means disposed within said frame and connected with said cam-engaging head for shifting the latter lengthwise of said common cam axis after said cam-engaging head has been withdrawn radial ly from a selected cam thereby to effect a partial or a complete traverse of said series of rotary cams whereby the single cam-engaging head can be manually engaged with one cam after another in any desired sequence, handle means connected within the frame with the said first and second manually operable means and extending outside the contines of said frame for operating said two manually operable means, and means connecting the camcngaging head with the needle thereby to impart lateral swinging movements to said needle in response to the surface of said selected cam.

7. An ornamental stitch sewing machine according to claim 6, and wherein the machine is provided with an arm pivotally mounted at one end about an axis iixed by the frame in parallelism with the common cam axis, and the single cam-engaging head is shiftably mounted upon the other end of the arm for movements lengthwise of the common cam axis.

8. An ornamental stitch sewing machine according to claim 6 and wherein the machine is provided with an arm whose one end is pivotally mounted about and slidably lengthwise of an axis fixed by the frame in parallelism with the common cam axis, and the single cam-engaging head is mounted upon the other end of the arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 88,282 Dunbar Mar. 30, 1868 1,033,721 Miller July 23, 1912 2,005,070 Bitzer June 18, 1935 2,007,863 Jenni July 9, 1935 2,377,777 Hale June 5, 1945 2,653,557 Casas-Robert et al. Sept. 29, 1953 2,693,778 Harris Nov. 9, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 19,184 Great Britain Sept. 12, 1908 694,339 Germany July 30, 1940 802,364 Germany Feb. 8, 1951 

